The present invention relates to an information transmission method, a information display method and an information display apparatus that displays content information (e.g., Internet content information or related content information) multiplexed in a television broadcast, for example, and more particularly to one that can display the corresponding content information, etc., by interlocking with the main broadcast content.
Various services that utilize the Internet have become available recently. A user can enjoy such services as information provision by accessing servers that provide services on the Internet. However, services on the Internet are based upon communications processing. Basically, a communications channel must be set up between a service provider and a service recipient, so the service provision is limited quantitatively.
By contrast, broadcasting has the merit of being able to provide information simultaneously to an unspecified multitude of recipients within the range of the broadcast signal. The present invention provides technology that is suitable for allowing many recipients to effectively utilize Internet content information, by multiplexing the Internet content information or related information in the television broadcast.
Furthermore, teletext broadcasting technology is related to the present invention. The teletext broadcasting technology broadcasts characters in addition to the normal broadcast, by inserting the character information in the vertical blanking interval of the television broadcast.
The present invention accordingly aims at providing information display technology that can display either content information transmitted after being multiplexed in the broadcast signal or a part thereof, interlocked with the contents of the broadcast.
In order to attain this object, the information transmission and display method of the present invention comprises the steps of: multiplexing, in the broadcast signal, content information and information regarding timing for displaying the content information on a display device; transmitting the multiplexed broadcast signal; receiving the multiplexed broadcast signal; extracting the timing information and the content information from the multiplexed broadcast signal; and displaying at least a part of the content information on the display device, based upon the timing information.
In this configuration, the content information and the display timing information are multiplexed in the broadcast signal and are then broadcast, so it is possible to display content or a part thereof at the desired time. For example, it is possible to interlock the display of content information or a part thereof with the broadcast contents.
Also, in this configuration, the broadcast signal can be a television broadcast signal. Also, the content information and the timing information can be multiplexed by inserting them into vertical blanking intervals of a television broadcast signal. Also, the timing information can be display time of the content information. The display time can be expressed as a relative time relative to the time when the content information is received. Also, the content information can be either a program code or hypertext (including hypermedia), such as web pages provided by a WWW (World Wide Web) server on the Internet.
Also, according to the present invention, in order to attain the object, the information display device comprises: means for receiving a broadcast signal containing multiplexed content information and information regarding timing for displaying the content information on a display device; means for extracting the timing information and the content information from the received broadcast signal; and means for displaying at lead a part of the content information on the display device, based upon the timing information.
Also in this configuration, by utilizing the display timing information, it is possible to display the content information or a part thereof after interlocking with the broadcast contents.
Also, according to the present invention, the information transmission and display method comprises the steps of: transmitting a broadcast signal that contains content information and information regarding timing for displaying the content information on a display device; receiving the broadcast signal; extracting the timing information and the content information from the broadcast signal; and displaying at least some of the content information on the display device, based upon the timing information.
In this configuration, it is possible to display, with predetermined timing, content information (information multiplexed in a main broadcast program, a motion picture of a main broadcast program independently broadcast, data, and other information).
Also, according to the present invention, the information display apparatus comprises: means for receiving a broadcast signal containing content information and information regarding timing for displaying the content information on a display device; means for extracting the timing information and the content information from the received broadcast signal; and means for displaying at least a part of the content information on the display device, based upon the timing information.
In this configuration, also, it is possible to display, with predetermined timing, content information (information multiplexed in a main broadcast program, a motion picture of a main broadcast program independently broadcast, data, and other information).
Also, the present invention can be implemented as a program product.